I really don't know what is the best bet, to be honest - some plants
would grow ok outside, some certainly won't. Lets face it, when some
varieties will grow outdoors in Russia, yet others won't contemplate
even a hothouse in the UK, it really leaves a lot of in-between
varieties.

To answer your question once and for all, if you have sufficient
seedlings, time and the inclination, would be to try groups of the
plants in a variety of conditions, ie some planted out, some outside
in pots, some in pots inside, some in greenhouse etc. If the plant the
seeds came from grew ok outside before in Co.Cork, I would guess there
wouldn't be too much of a problem - the critical times, from my
experience, are germination and flowering. Again, this is probably
breed specific, but the general thinking is that a
soil/compost/potting medium temp of 15 C at flowering/pollination is
required to avoid the flowers just dropping off.

I must point out that I'm still learning, and likely always will be,
but I can talk with certainty about what I've found to work, with my
plants, in my climate. This is not something anyone else is likely to
know, who hasn't attempted the same thing under the same conditions. I
know for sure that if I put my plants outside, whatever the
acclimatisation period, they would either die or go dormant within a
few days...

So, my best advice is to experiment - if something works, great, if
not, don't try it again!

Sorry I cant be more help

Dave


My seeds have just germinated. When should I start planting them out? Or
should I plant them out at all? Keep 'em in pots? Keep 'em indoors?

The plant that the seeds came from was grown outside in Co. Cork which
has a more temperate climate than Dublin. Can't remember if it was
potted or in the ground.

Thanks for advice...

G

Dublin, Ireland.
--

Dave Chalton wrote:

So, my best advice is to experiment - if something works, great, if
not, don't try it again!

Sorry I cant be more help

Thanks for the excellent advice. I have probably 25-30 seedlings from
this plant, so I'll experiment. I still have a bunch of seeds left over
for next year.

Come to think of it, I must try growing from a few different fruits.


G


--

Come to think of it, I must try growing from a few different fruits.

Yup, I got my fith variety to come through from a super-market fruit
just lately, so you could say I'm a proponent of having plenty of
choice!

Good luck with your plants G,
Let me know how they get on eh?

Dave

Vaguely off-topic, since I'm now going down the greenhouse route,so
not really indoor, but what the hey!

Got the first flower open on this years plants today, so thats roughly
two months from planting I think. I'm interested to know how this
compares to other areas of the UK and elsewhere, as I'm trying to find
the optimum sowing date for a long fruiting season - my part of
South-West Scotland does not favour greenhouse growing beyond about
October, unless the plants are parafin/kerosene addicts! Indoors last
year had chiles ripening through to Christmas.

No doubt in a "normal" year, they wouldn't be doing so well, but for
the last two months or so we've had unseasonably warm weather - 23C
today, and sunny - apart from the smoke of burning forestry, the
downside to many many weeks of no rain.

Another query - obviously different breeds behave differently in terms
of the number of fruit they carry, and the amount of flowers etc, but
I wondered what is an average for small-fruited varieties which grow
very tall plants? Yes, its vague I know, but the plant grew from a
bought chile, so i've no idea what sort it is. The fruit are about 2cm
long by 5 or 6mm diameter, orangy red whilst dry, and currently a very
pale green on the plant. They are held upwards, and the flowers are in
clusters of around ten per node. The plant is currently about 4.5 feet
tall, but I've cut out the tips to stop it taking over even more. It
has 80ish fruit currently growing, and a further 150-odd flowers/buds.

Any ideas gratfully recieved.

Cheers

Dave

"Dave wrote in message

Got the first flower open on this years plants today, so thats roughly
two months from planting I think.

Sounds about right, never actually timed them, and we grow ours outside
after germination etc in our little greenhouse. (bit further S. than you)
:-)
By Sept. we are normally expecting frost so we pull ours up then and pull
off the fruit which are mainly green. Freeze very well and without
blanching. We normally have enough from half a dozen plants to freeze for
ourselves for the year ahead, a supply to our neighbours, and a carrier bag
full left over for our favourite Indian Restaurant.

One thing you have to be very careful of, growing in a greenhouse, is that
the amount of water given to the plants affects the heat of the fruit. They
must have plenty of water especially in the fortnight leading up to picking
or they will be mild tasting no matter what the variety.

--
Bob

www.pooleygreengrowers.org.uk/ about an Allotment site in
Runnymede fighting for it's existence.
..

"Sue & Bob Hobden" wrote in message news:b7nb5h$2nvnn$1@ID-

.. They
must have plenty of water especially in the fortnight leading up to picking
or they will be mild tasting no matter what the variety.


Now thats something I didn't know - thanks for the tip. The generally
known stuff about watering suggests that holding back on the water now
and then will increase the heat, along with temperature increases etc.
Obviously up here can't compare to most other places in terms of
temperature (bar the last few weeks ), but my last-years plants
didn't start flowering till mid september, never mind harvesting them!

The greenhouse was full of ash this morning, and I've been out
fighting the biggest fire in Ayrshire today, near Darvel, so I'm tired
and going to bed.

Later

Dave

"Dave wrote in message
. They
must have plenty of water especially in the fortnight leading up to
picking
or they will be mild tasting no matter what the variety.


Now thats something I didn't know - thanks for the tip. The generally
known stuff about watering suggests that holding back on the water now
and then will increase the heat, along with temperature increases etc.
Obviously up here can't compare to most other places in terms of
temperature (bar the last few weeks ), but my last-years plants
didn't start flowering till mid september, never mind harvesting them!

Yes, read it in an American book on Chillies some years ago, and my
experience with my non-watering, greenhouse owning, neighbour bears it out.
:-)

--
Bob

www.pooleygreengrowers.org.uk/ about an Allotment site in
Runnymede fighting for it's existence.

temperature (bar the last few weeks ), but my last-years plants
didn't start flowering till mid september, never mind harvesting them!

Yes, read it in an American book on Chillies some years ago, and my
experience with my non-watering, greenhouse owning, neighbour bears it out.
:-)

Bob


I've never had much success with Chillies. The growing season doesn't seem long
enough here to grow them (in my unheated greenhouse anyway). Perhaps they would do
better in a heated greenhouse or South facing conservatory.
--
Drakanthus.


(Spam filter: Include the word VB anywhere in the subject line or emails
will never reach me.)

"Drakanthus" wrote in message temperature (bar the last few weeks
), but my last-years plants
didn't start flowering till mid september, never mind harvesting them!

Yes, read it in an American book on Chillies some years ago, and my
experience with my non-watering, greenhouse owning, neighbour bears it
out.

I've never had much success with Chillies. The growing season doesn't seem
long
enough here to grow them (in my unheated greenhouse anyway). Perhaps they
would do
better in a heated greenhouse or South facing conservatory.
--

Depends where you are in the Country.
I'm in N.Surrey and we grow ours (Thai Dragon from T&M and others) from seed
in our tiny greenhouse and plant them out very late May early June on the
allotments in a sheltered but sunny spot. We surround them on the north
eastern side with sweetcorn usually to keep the cold winds off and keep the
temperature up. Another allotment holder surrounds hers with 2ft tall fleece
fences, a bit lower on the S. side to let the sun in.
Lots of feed, seaweed extract works very well, and water to get them up to
flowering ASAP. They don't ever get big plants, 2ft tall max, but are so
dense and dark green that it's sometimes difficult to see the fruit.
Normally have some red chillies and lots of green ones by August, and by
pulling up time in Sept there is a good crop.
Last year was a bad year though, too dull and cool I think.
They do seem much hotter grown outside BTW but that could be the watering
problem mentioned before.

--
Regards
Bob

Use a useful Screen Saver...
http://setiathome.ssl.berkeley.edu/
and find intelligent life amongst the stars, there's bugger all down here.

"Drakanthus" wrote in message
I've never had much success with Chillies. The growing season doesn't seem long
enough here to grow them (in my unheated greenhouse anyway). Perhaps they would do
better in a heated greenhouse or South facing conservatory.

Where abouts you trying to grow them? If your greenhouse is too cool
during the early and late ends of the season, leave your plants
indoors, preferably a south facing window, and they should do well.
Scotland doesn't boast a long growing season, but previous posts will
tell you that successfull growth and fruiting can be acchieved inside
if you have the space, which beats the early frosts.

My greenhouse is not heated, and the current plants are at varying
stages from two sets of leaves through to flowering.

Good luck,

Dave

Want to make them hotter?

You need to stress them out!

When the small fruits appear deprive them of water until the plants wilt!

Then flood them with water!

They get hotter than hell!


Badger


"Dave Chalton" wrote in message
om...
"Sue & Bob Hobden" wrote in message news:b7nb5h$2nvnn$1@ID-

. They
must have plenty of water especially in the fortnight leading up to
picking
or they will be mild tasting no matter what the variety.


Now thats something I didn't know - thanks for the tip. The generally
known stuff about watering suggests that holding back on the water now
and then will increase the heat, along with temperature increases etc.
Obviously up here can't compare to most other places in terms of
temperature (bar the last few weeks ), but my last-years plants
didn't start flowering till mid september, never mind harvesting them!

The greenhouse was full of ash this morning, and I've been out
fighting the biggest fire in Ayrshire today, near Darvel, so I'm tired
and going to bed.

Later

Dave